Autonomous Vehicle Brake Fallback Control for Safe Stopping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for autonomous vehicles fail to ensure safe stopping in case of control failures, lacking reliable methods to maintain vehicle control and safety without human intervention, leading to reduced operational confidence.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a primary and secondary brake, an error detection module, and a supplemental control module that automatically stops the vehicle using available braking systems, with deceleration profiles to manage traffic situations and prevent overheating, allowing for potential restart after safe stopping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional failure handling systems are used with autonomous vehicles, then the system complexity is reduced, but the reliability of safe stopping in case of control failures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting errors in the primary brake control before actual failure occurs. The error detection module continuously monitors the control module's ability to control the primary brake, and the supplemental control module is pre-configured to take over braking control when errors are detected, ensuring safe stopping is prepared in advance rather than reacting after complete failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The supplemental control module acts as an intermediary between the primary brake control system and the braking actuators. When the error detection module identifies control failures, the supplemental control module mediates by taking over control of the secondary brake or parking brake, providing a bridge that maintains braking functionality even when the primary control path is compromised.
2Reliability
If supplementary sensing and controlling elements are added to achieve safe stopping, then the reliability of safe stopping improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental control module is designed with multi-functionality to control both the secondary brake and parking brake systems. This universal control capability allows a single supplemental module to provide safe stopping through multiple different braking mechanisms, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for each brake type and thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If deceleration profiles are implemented to manage traffic situations, then the safety toward surrounding traffic improves, but the stopping time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic deceleration profiles that adjust the braking behavior based on real-time traffic conditions. The supplemental control module can modify the deceleration rate to provide gentle warning to surrounding traffic when appropriate, or increase deceleration when safety requires faster stopping. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between traffic safety and stopping time rather than using a fixed deceleration rate.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatically stopping an autonomous vehicle, in which the autonomous vehicle includes a primary brake and a secondary brake controlled by least one control module or different control modules. The system includes: an error detection module configured to detect an error in the control of the primary brake or the secondary brake by the one control module or the different control modules; and a supplemental control module configured, upon a detected error by the error module, to cause a stop of the autonomous vehicle using the primary brake or the secondary brake.